Bailiwick

DH and I are always scoping out new brunch spots in San Diego so we know where to take our friends when they come to visit.

Bailiwick is a new spot in downtown San Diego, located next to Cafe 21. It specializes in cocktails but also offers a weekend brunch.

The place has some interesting decor, including a bird cage outside, a bathtub right inside the door stocked with champagne on ice, giant mirrors, peacock feathers, etc.

We were invited to come check out the place and since DH and I are more into food than drinks, I requested to come during brunch.

Upon entering, each table already has a bucket of champagne on ice to entice you to participate in their unlimited mimosas for $15 per person. If you wish to partake, you simple pop open the bottle on your table and then request the juices of your choice to go with your alcohol. I really wanted to do this but DH was under the weather and I knew I couldn’t drink that much by myself. So I opted for a cocktail instead.

The menu is a bit limited and consists mainly of savory dishes (menu is at the end of the post).

Vegetarian Benedict
Burrata, chard, asparagus, tomato, scramble, hollandaise

I have to confess, this didn’t seem like something I would like. It is vegetarian, the eggs are scrambled instead of poached. However, it was recommended by our server and the chef so we decided to try it. And I’m so glad we did. We both really really enjoyed this. The burrata cheese is marinated in various herbs for 12 hours before and the cheese ends up being so flavorful that I didn’t miss the meat. The generous amount of hollandaise sauce along with the creamy burrata made me forget about missing my runny yolk too.

It was accompanied with small slices of thin crunchy toast and jams. I love my toast extra crunchy, so these thin slices were perfect for me.

Chorizo Stuffed Poussin

The roasted chicken has a nice thin layer of crispy skin. The chorizo was a bit too salty for me but the sweetened honey quinoa helped to balance it out. I enjoyed this, though I preferred the eggs.

Tater Tots

We also got a side of crispy tots because it’s DH’s current obsession.

The portions here were just enough to be full but not to be stuffed. This may be a good thing, especially if you are doing the unlimited mimosas. If you are used to oversized portions that leave you stuffed the whole day, then this may not be the place for you.

We had a good time here and it’s a good option if Cafe 21’s wait is too long. We did see quite a lot of the overflow from the Cafe 21 wait crowd coming here instead. I do wish that they offered a larger brunch menu. We enjoyed what we had– just wish their were more choices. Hopefully, they will add more to it later.

Please note, as indicated above, I was invited to come check out Bailiwick and my meal was complimentary. As always, my opinions are my own.

Bailiwick
756 Fifth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101